|
 Mayor Gray and Other Leaders Offered Remarks at the Official Launch of www.StatehoodDC.com, a Coordinated Self-Determination Effort on the Front Steps of John A. Wilson Building on November 8. Watch the Mayor's Speech.
 |
|
District of Columbia, Maryland, and Federal Officials to Celebrate Anacostia River Trail
Mayor Vincent C. Gray and key officials from Maryland and federal agencies hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Anacostia River Watershed to highlight ongoing efforts to restore the watershed and improve public access to the Anacostia River. Specifically regional representatives were there to celebrate the recent completion of 12 miles of trail in the District and 1.5 miles of trail in Maryland. Following the ribbon cutting, the officials engaged in a bike ride along the newly completed trail segment that will ultimately connect to the District's portion of the Riverwalk Trail. Both trails are part of the larger Anacostia Riverwalk Trail system which will offer nearly 60 miles of contiguous trails and provide additional opportunities for residents and visitors to access Anacostia Park and the Anacostia River.
Regional representatives, such as Senator Ben Cardin, Representative Donna Edwards, Governor Martin O’Malley, PG County Executive Rushern Baker, III, U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Deputy U.S. Secretary of Transportation John Porcari, Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe, and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis attended the event.
For more information on future development of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, click here.
|
President Obama's Decision to Provide Federal Disaster Aid Brings Good News to the District
President Barack Obama has approved Mayor Gray’s request for Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance for the District of Columbia due to the 5.8 magnitude earthquake on August 23, 2011. The Mayor sent the request on October 21, 2011 and received a response from the President on Tuesday, November 8.
“This is great news,” said Mayor Gray. “I want to thank the President for his commitment to assist the District in its recovery efforts as result of the August earthquake.” The Mayor said that the District looks forward to working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to identify the areas of the city’s infrastructure that have been most significantly impacted.
President Obama’s approval means that federal aid will now be made available to the District of Columbia to supplement recovery efforts for structural and non-structural repairs to schools, universities, hospitals, government buildings, roads, bridges, tunnels and other critical structures damaged by the quake.
WMATA Partners With DC Government to Hire Metrobus Drivers
On Wednesday, November 2, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority tested 26 applicants for job opportunities as metro bus drivers. The test took place at the District’s Department of Employment Services (DOES) headquarters. Mayor Vincent C. Gray said that the collaboration that is needed between the DC government and local businesses, as demonstrated with DDOE and WMATA, is necessary to jump-start the city’s efforts to put more residents back to work under his One City ● One Hire initiative.
The One City ● One Hire initiative has helped 335 DC residents find jobs since it was announced in early September. So far, 172 businesses, including 7-Eleven, Ross Dress for Less, Safeway, Rite Aid, and Securitas, have enlisted as partners under the program. Businesses use DOES to notify job seekers of available positions and to pre-screen applicants.
To view the press conference on the WMATA partnership announcement, click here.
|
|
 |
Mayor Vincent C. Gray Visits Safeway and Rite Aid Interviews
One City • One Hire partners Safeway and Rite Aid are developing a closer working relationship with the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES). This should translate into more jobs for qualified District residents. On Thursday, November 3, both companies had human-resources representatives on-site at DOES Headquarters, located at 4058 Minnesota Avenue NE, to conduct interviews to fill management and other positions. These positions range fro store managers and shift supervisors to clerks and night stockers.
"As business participants of the One City • One Hire initiative, these companies are committed to identifying and putting qualified District residents back to work,” said Mayor Gray, who was on site to greet job seekers and to thank the businesses for delivering jobs to DC residents. “My administration will continue to be persistent in developing partnerships with businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Matching qualified District job seekers to available jobs opportunities is the ultimate goal.”
Earlier this week, DOES held employment pre-screening events for Safeway and Rite Aid and identified 180 District residents with the requisite skills and/or background for both entry-level and management-level positions.
Expanded Workforce Incentive Program Designed to Create More Potential Jobs For DC Residents
After exceeding its goal of recruiting and hiring District of Columbia residents to work on five school modernization projects this summer, the pilot Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) will now be expanded citywide.
The summer pilot program’s exceeded its goal of having DC residents responsible for at least 35 percent of the hours worked on the five locally funded projects. In the end, DC residents performed 50 percent of the hours worked on those projects. Overall, DC residents made up 41 percent of the workers on the school projects, with a total of 780 DC residents working on the construction sites.
“The WIP pilot effort showed us that if we provide opportunities for District residents to compete for construction jobs, pool our construction projects together, and partner with construction companies to hire more of our unemployed workforce, we can help to put our people back to work,” Mayor Gray said.
The WIP initiative was implemented by the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (OPEFM), which focused on school modernization projects. Moving forward, the WIP program will include all capital construction projects managed by the newly formed Department of General Services (DGS). Those projects could potentially include school, park, and recreation center modernizations and other construction-related contracts across the District.
Program with 34 Cadets Is Part of Mayor’s One City*One Hire Initiative
On Saturday, November 5, Mayor Vincent C. Gray; Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Paul A. Quander; DC Department of Employment Services Director Lisa Mallory; and District Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief Kenneth B. Ellerbe attended an orientation class of the Fire and EMS Department’s 14th Cadet Program. Officials personally greeted the 34 cadets and offered words of encouragement as they begin a 12-month training program on October 24, 2011.
The DC Fire and EMS Cadet Program is designed to recruit District of Columbia high school graduates into the Fire and Emergency Medical Services. The program was initially established in 1985, as a joint venture between Fire and EMS and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). Following a period of inactivity, Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Fire and EMS Chief Kenneth B. Ellerbe have re-launched the program, recognizing its value in stimulating job and career opportunities for the District’s youth. The program was started on October 24, 2011 with 17 cadets, and an additional 17 cadets have been added to the class where all 34 recruits attended the November 7th orientation session.
Friday, November 11
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.: Honoring African-American World War II Veterans, National World War II Memorial – OVA will honor D.C. World War II veterans.
11:00 am. – 12:00 p.m.: Arlington National Cemetery Veterans Day Memorial Service – This event includes a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Seating in the cemetery’s amphitheater is limited, so visitors should plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony.
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Veterans Day Rock Rally honoring D.C. women veterans, THEARC Theatre, 1901 Mississippi Avenue SE.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Pacifica Radio Veterans Day Program With Acie Byrd – OVA Director Cary and representatives from the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) will reflect on what Veterans Day means to America and discuss issues veterans face as they come home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ceremony – this will take place at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Mall and will pay tribute to all who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War and America’s other conflicts.
|
